The report of the high-profile security meeting has forced the government to initiate an inquiry to identify the person responsible for its leak.

Nisar said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif were briefed regarding a probe into the story when all three met in Quetta a day after the police academy attack, where the interior minister shared details regarding the probe.

“I shared with him [the PM] the details and recommendations. The PM asked me some questions and in principle approved the recommendations. He asked me to share them with the COAS. Ishaq Dar was also there in the meeting, so was Shahbaz Sharif.”

“We made a call and went to Army House. Not in secret. It was no late-night clandestine meeting,” Nisar clarified. “As usual, the meeting with COAS was very pleasant. There were reports of it being strained and tense… Who will contradict me and say it was not pleasant? I will not trust or accept any non-military source saying the meeting was anything but pleasant.”

The interior minister said when Dawn’s story was published, a decision was taken by the PM – the army chief was in a meeting ─ that there would be an initial inquiry.

“Because this is a high-profile probe, senior officials have to initiate this. A legal team, led by our law minister, was also complying. The Federal Investigation Agency and Islamabad police are all complying,” he said.

“After a few days, a discussion was undertaken… It is no secret that at a certain stage, I distanced myself from this investigation. But then the responsibility was given to me.”

A day after Pervaiz Rasheed was asked to step down from his post as information minister during the probe, Nisar said, “Some documented and undocumented records involving Pervaiz Rasheed say the reporter contacted him for comments about a story regarding Shahbaz Sharif and the ISI chief.”

“Pervaiz Rasheed called the reporter into his office. [During] my entire investigation… I reached the conclusion that Pervaiz Rasheed should have told the reporter that this story is wrong, ‘Do not publish this story in view of national interest’,” Nisar said.

“He should have spoken to [Dawn Editor] Zaffar Abbas, Dawn’s management or the government, so there is a lapse. He had a duty as information minister when these decisions [his resignation] were made… He should have understood the implications of the story and stopped it.”

“The story says there was a bitter exchange between the ISI chief and CM Shahbaz. This is not true. There was no such meeting… Where the foreign secretary made a briefing. The next day, there was a meeting and I was in the meeting. The foreign secretary gave a briefing in this meeting, but there was no bitterness,” he emphasised.

“When it comes to non-state actors, there has been no contradiction. There has always been consensus.”

“The foreign secretary is a competent person. He did say India is trying to isolate Pakistan, but never said Pakistan is isolated. His words were distorted and broadcast to the whole world. The country’s national interest has been compromised,” Nisar said.

“I told the PM, whoever is responsible,I will get to the bottom of it. I agree there should be an inquiry, but I am not cut out to be an investigator.”

“There is a unanimous agreement: whoever has leaked this false news should be brought in front of the nation. Who has leaked this story? Who fabricated this? Pakistan’s national narrative is being compromised by a false report,” he claimed.

“Do not politicise this case. The hand behind this story should be exposed,” he said.

Islamabad ‘lockdown’ a crime against the state

The interior minister said locking down the capital is not a crime against the government, but a crime against the state.

“Along with political activity, ensuring normal daily activities is also my responsibility,” he said.